@Max, not aggressive in the least.@Tomer, I've tried salting and not salting the beer. I've not noticed a difference, so I don't salt it anymore. I understand the logic of salting it, but good, consistent end results tell me there's no need.

The paste was quite typical Gouda in texture, with a good flavor. The milk was local from a friend who keeps a single cow. Without having made two cheeses and comparing the stout soaked to the other one without soaking, I can't say how much difference the stout made, except that I can certainly taste it and it adds complexity to the taste. The stout was my own home brewed with Irish ale yeast. After soaking, I let it sit at room temperature, about 55-60 degrees F for several days, and it developed a whitish powdery texture. Thanks to Smilingcalico for sharing this idea - the cheese was a big success at Thanksgiving today!

Here's a follow up on this cheese. I vacuum sealed one half and aged it out another 3 months. The flavor developed quite a lot. It was quite sharp and aromatic. I'm not sure how to describe the flavor: sharp like a blue cheese, but with a very different nose. I couldn't decide if I really liked it or not, but a friend who quite enjoys a lot of very aromatic French cheeses was very pleased with it, and I gave him the remainder because he loved it so much. My experience in cheese has been rather limited, I need to explore a bit to see what various cheeses taste like; but all in all I would say that this was a real success, and I'll make some more this spring.

I was inspired to do this by the picture from SmilingCalico earlier in this thread, and she soaks hers the next day. I soaked mine at six weeks because that's how old it was when I saw the picture, and wanted mine to look like that! The next time I make this, I'll soak it as soon as it's dry to the touch, and then age it for two months.